The Cast from Criminal Minds: Who Played the BAU?

If you are searching for the cast from Criminal Minds, you may be trying to remember more than just a few familiar faces. With 15 original seasons, a continuation series, major cast changes, and characters who came and went over the years, the lineup can get surprisingly difficult to track.

The original Criminal Minds premiered on CBS in 2005 and centered on FBI profilers in the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU). Its first-season ensemble included Mandy Patinkin, Thomas Gibson, Lola Glaudini, Shemar Moore, Matthew Gray Gubler, A.J. Cook, and Kirsten Vangsness.

Since then, actors such as Joe Mantegna, Paget Brewster, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez, and Daniel Henney became important parts of the show’s evolving identity. The franchise later continued as Criminal Minds: Evolution, bringing several familiar performers back while adding newer characters.

This guide breaks down who played the major characters, how the cast changed, who returned for Evolution, and which actors were part of the BAU at different stages.

Who is in the Criminal Minds cast?

The simplest way to understand the cast is to separate the original series from Criminal Minds: Evolution.

The original CBS series ran from 2005 to 2020 and covered 15 seasons. The revival, Criminal Minds: Evolution, launched in 2022 and continues the story under the same franchise. Paramount+ currently lists the original show as Seasons 1–15 and Evolution from Season 16 onward.

Some of the most recognizable cast members include:

The important detail is that not all of these actors appeared throughout the entire 15-season run. That’s one reason simple “Criminal Minds cast” lists can be misleading.

The original Criminal Minds cast

Mandy Patinkin as Jason Gideon

Mandy Patinkin played Jason Gideon, one of the show’s original senior FBI profilers.

Gideon was portrayed as an experienced investigator with a particularly deep understanding of criminal behavior. His presence helped establish the show’s early emphasis on psychological profiling rather than traditional police investigation.

Patinkin was part of the original Season 1 ensemble.

His departure was one of the earliest major cast changes, and the show eventually introduced another veteran profiler to fill a different role within the team.

Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotchner

Thomas Gibson played Aaron “Hotch” Hotchner, one of the most recognizable leaders in the series.

Hotch was the disciplined, controlled figure who often had to balance the BAU’s emotionally difficult cases with responsibility for the team. Gibson appeared from the beginning of the series and remained a major cast member for many seasons.

For viewers watching the show in chronological order, Hotch is one of the characters who helps connect several different eras of the BAU.

Shemar Moore as Derek Morgan

Shemar Moore played Derek Morgan, a confident and physically capable BAU agent.

Morgan brought a different energy to the team than Reid or Hotch. His character was often involved in direct confrontation with suspects, while also developing strong relationships with other members of the unit.

Moore was part of the original cast and remained with the series through its earlier and middle years. IMDb lists him as appearing as Morgan from 2005 through 2020.

Matthew Gray Gubler as Dr. Spencer Reid

Matthew Gray Gubler played Dr. Spencer Reid, arguably one of the franchise’s most distinctive characters.

Reid is exceptionally intelligent and has an unusual ability to absorb and connect information. But the character works because the writers did not reduce him to simply being “the genius.” His relationships, vulnerabilities, personal history, and development become increasingly important.

Gubler played Reid throughout the original series and became one of the central faces associated with Criminal Minds. IMDb credits him as Reid across the show’s original run.

One useful distinction for newer viewers: Reid’s absence from much of Criminal Minds: Evolution should not be confused with the actor leaving the original show early. He was a major part of all 15 original seasons.

A.J. Cook as Jennifer “JJ” Jareau

A.J. Cook plays Jennifer “JJ” Jareau.

JJ initially occupies a different position from the team’s profilers, functioning heavily as a liaison and communications figure. Over time, however, her responsibilities and field role expand considerably.

That development is one of the better examples of how Criminal Minds allowed a character’s professional identity to change instead of keeping everyone locked into their original job description.

Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia

Kirsten Vangsness plays Penelope Garcia, the BAU’s distinctive technical analyst.

Garcia provides technological support, information retrieval, and communications assistance, but she is also one of the show’s most recognizable personalities.

Her colorful personality creates an important contrast with the darker subject matter of the cases.

Interestingly, Garcia was initially a recurring presence before becoming a main cast member.

That makes her longevity particularly notable: she became one of the characters most strongly associated with the franchise.

Lola Glaudini as Elle Greenaway

Lola Glaudini played Elle Greenaway, one of the original BAU agents.

Elle was part of the first-season cast alongside Gideon, Hotch, Morgan, Reid, JJ, and Garcia.

Her time on the show was much shorter than that of several later cast members, which is why viewers who start with later seasons may not immediately recognize her.

Joe Mantegna as David Rossi

Joe Mantegna joined Criminal Minds in Season 3 as David Rossi.

Rossi was not simply a replacement copy of Gideon. He brought his own personality and history to the BAU: older, experienced, confident, and sometimes more blunt.

That distinction matters when watching the transition between the early seasons and the later ones.

Mantegna eventually became one of the longest-serving actors in the franchise. IMDb credits him as David Rossi from 2007 through the current continuation of the series.

His character also became increasingly important to the emotional structure of the team.

Paget Brewster as Emily Prentiss

Paget Brewster plays Emily Prentiss, another major long-term BAU figure.

Prentiss originally entered the series after the first season and went through several changes in status before becoming one of the franchise’s central leaders.

Her character is particularly useful for understanding how Criminal Minds changed over time. She isn’t simply a profiler who solves cases; her relationships with the BAU and her experiences outside the unit become important parts of her story.

Brewster eventually returned to the franchise for Criminal Minds: Evolution. She is part of the current core cast alongside Rossi, JJ, Garcia, Tara Lewis, Luke Alvez, Tyler Green, and Elias Voit.

Other important Criminal Minds cast members

The BAU changed considerably between the original series and its later seasons.

Aisha Tyler as Dr. Tara Lewis

Aisha Tyler plays Dr. Tara Lewis, a forensic psychologist who became a series regular during the later part of the original show.

Her professional perspective adds another psychological dimension to the BAU, and she continues to be part of Criminal Minds: Evolution.

Adam Rodriguez as Luke Alvez

Adam Rodriguez joined as Luke Alvez, bringing another experienced field agent into the BAU.

Alvez became part of the late-era ensemble and returned for Evolution. Paramount+ lists Rodriguez among the continuing Season 19 cast.

Daniel Henney as Matt Simmons

Daniel Henney played Matt Simmons, another agent who became part of the main cast during the later seasons.

Henney had previously appeared in the wider Criminal Minds universe before becoming a regular on the original series. Season 13 lists him among the principal cast alongside Rossi, Reid, JJ, Garcia, Prentiss, Tara, and Alvez.

Jeanne Tripplehorn as Alex Blake

Jeanne Tripplehorn played Dr. Alex Blake, who joined the BAU during a period of major cast transition.

Blake brought an academic and linguistic perspective to the team and was part of Seasons 8 and 9.

Jennifer Love Hewitt as Kate Callahan

Jennifer Love Hewitt played Kate Callahan during Season 10.

Her character provided another experienced-agent perspective, although her time as a central member of the BAU was relatively brief compared with characters such as Reid, JJ, Garcia, Rossi, or Prentiss.

Who returned for Criminal Minds: Evolution?

This is where the answer becomes much easier if you are specifically asking about the current cast from Criminal Minds.

The revival brought back several major performers from the original show.

For Season 19, Paramount+ identifies these series regulars:

• Joe Mantegna as David Rossi
• A.J. Cook as Jennifer Jareau
• Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia
• Aisha Tyler as Dr. Tara Lewis
• Paget Brewster as Emily Prentiss
• Adam Rodriguez as Luke Alvez
• Zach Gilford as Elias Voit
• RJ Hatanaka as Tyler Green

Notice something important: this is not the same cast as the original Criminal Minds team.

Matthew Gray Gubler’s Spencer Reid, Thomas Gibson’s Hotch, and Shemar Moore’s Morgan are not part of this Season 19 regular lineup.

That distinction prevents one of the most common mistakes in online cast articles: treating every famous former character as if they are still a regular member of the BAU.

What happened to Spencer Reid?

Spencer Reid remains one of the most popular characters from the original series, but Matthew Gray Gubler is not part of the regular Season 19 cast.

There is an interesting recent development, however. Paramount+ notes that Gubler returned to the Criminal Minds: Evolution franchise as a guest star in Season 18.

So there is a difference between:

“Is Spencer Reid part of the original Criminal Minds cast?”
Yes.

“Is Matthew Gray Gubler a regular in the current Evolution cast?”
No.

That distinction is particularly useful if you are searching for the actor because you remember Reid from the original 15-season series.

Why has the Criminal Minds cast changed so much?

A long-running television drama naturally experiences cast turnover.

In Criminal Minds, the changes were also tied to the show’s storytelling. Different characters brought different professional specialties, relationships, and personal histories to the BAU.

The result is almost like watching several versions of the same team.

For example:

1. Early era: Gideon, Hotch, Morgan, Reid, Elle, JJ and Garcia establish the BAU.
2. Middle era: Rossi becomes a major veteran presence, while Prentiss grows in importance.
3. Later original-series era: Tara, Luke, Matt and other newer agents expand the team.
4. Evolution era: the franchise returns with a smaller, more serialized ensemble.

This is why asking “Who is the cast?” without specifying a season can produce a confusing answer.

Criminal Minds cast: original series vs Evolution

The current Evolution lineup is therefore best understood as a continuation of the franchise rather than a complete reunion of every famous actor.

A useful way to watch the cast changes

If you’re watching Criminal Minds for the first time, don’t worry about memorizing every cast member before starting.

Instead, pay attention to three groups:

The original foundation:
Gideon, Hotch, Morgan, Reid, JJ and Garcia.

The long-term replacements and additions:
Rossi and Prentiss become especially important, while later seasons introduce characters such as Tara, Luke and Matt.

The continuation:
Evolution keeps several familiar characters while moving toward more serialized storytelling.

This approach makes the cast changes much easier to follow.

Three details casual cast lists often miss

Garcia’s importance goes beyond comic relief

Garcia is sometimes reduced to the “fun technical person,” but that description misses how central she becomes to the emotional architecture of the BAU.

Her technical role is practical, while her relationships with the agents provide continuity when the team’s lineup changes.

Rossi is not simply “the new Gideon”

David Rossi fills a senior-profiler role, but the character has a different history, personality, and relationship with the team.

That difference is important when comparing the early and later versions of the show.

The franchise now spans two different storytelling formats

The original Criminal Minds was primarily a case-of-the-week procedural, while Evolution uses a more serialized approach.

Paramount+ describes the newer series as following the BAU while dealing with complex criminal networks and longer-running storylines.

That change affects not only the stories but also how the cast interacts. Characters have more room for continuing arcs instead of resetting after each episode.

Is Criminal Minds still continuing?

Yes. Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19 premiered on May 28, 2026, on Paramount+, with episodes released weekly.

More importantly for fans wondering whether the franchise is ending, Paramount+ has confirmed Season 20 for 2027. An exact premiere date has not yet been announced.

So the cast discussion is not purely about a finished 2005–2020 television series anymore. The franchise remains active, although the current ensemble is substantially different from the original BAU lineup.

FAQ

Who is the main cast of Criminal Minds?

The main cast changed repeatedly over the show’s 15-season original run. The most recognizable actors include Matthew Gray Gubler, Thomas Gibson, Shemar Moore, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Joe Mantegna and Paget Brewster. Later seasons also featured Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez and Daniel Henney.

Who played Spencer Reid in Criminal Minds?

Matthew Gray Gubler played Dr. Spencer Reid throughout the original Criminal Minds series. Reid is an exceptionally intelligent BAU profiler and became one of the show’s defining characters. Gubler also made a guest appearance in Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 18.

Who is still in the Criminal Minds cast?

The current Criminal Minds: Evolution cast includes Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, Paget Brewster, Adam Rodriguez, Zach Gilford and RJ Hatanaka among its Season 19 regulars.

Is Matthew Gray Gubler returning to Criminal Minds?

Gubler returned as Spencer Reid for a guest appearance in Season 18 of Criminal Minds: Evolution, but he is not listed among the Season 19 regular cast. He is also starring as Lewis “Lew” Einstein in the upcoming CBS series Einstein.

Is Criminal Minds: Evolution the same show?

It is a continuation of the original Criminal Minds, but it is presented as a separate Paramount+ series with a more serialized format. The original CBS series occupies Seasons 1–15 on Paramount+, while Evolution begins with Season 16.

Will there be another season of Criminal Minds?

Yes. Criminal Minds: Evolution has been renewed for Season 20, which is scheduled for 2027. Paramount+ has not yet announced the exact premiere date.

Conclusion

The cast from Criminal Minds is best understood as a changing BAU rather than one fixed group of actors. Mandy Patinkin, Thomas Gibson, Shemar Moore and Matthew Gray Gubler helped establish the original team, while A.J. Cook and Kirsten Vangsness became enduring links between different eras. Joe Mantegna and Paget Brewster later became especially important to the show’s long-term identity.

Today, Criminal Minds: Evolution carries the franchise forward with returning favorites including Rossi, JJ, Garcia, Prentiss, Tara and Luke, alongside newer characters. With Season 20 already confirmed for 2027, the BAU’s story is still developing.